1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. [ Which is Nissan - or the first month of their year. The Lord says that this month in which the Passover is established shall be the beginning of months. And actually in the Jewish calendar, it is late March, early April. It becomes the religious new year. Back to the beginning. The reference in Gen 1:1 to creation “in the beginning” (Heb. re’shit, related to the nouns ro’sh “head, first” and ri’shon “first”), may be echoed in the sanctuary festival calendar commencing in the “beginning [ro’sh] of months” (Exod 12:2). Likewise, the “first day” of creation week may be echoed in the erection of the Mosaic tabernacle on “the first day of the first month” (Exod 40:2, 17). Just as creation took place at the “beginning,” so the sanctuary festivals started at the “beginning” of months and the sanctuary was constructed in the “beginning” of the year. Jews still today celebrate the creation of the world at the time of Rosh Hashanah (“Head of the Year,” i.e., New Year, first day of the seventh Jewish month). And from that, I look at the Messiah, the savior. And Jesus Christ's gospel presents, if you will, a restoration of old truths, but it also signifies a new beginning, and particularly the ordinances associated with the gospel. We're baptized. We become new creatures in Jesus Christ. So the redemption that is provided that will occur here parallels the redemption that's provided by Jesus through his gospel in the ordinances. ]

3 ¶ Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, [ Israel at this point is in bondage. ] saying, In the tenth day of this month [ Nissan - the first month. So on the 10th day of Nissan. ] they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

5  Your lamb [ To this point all of the plagues have passed over the children of Israel who are living on Goshen. Now God is telling them what they must do individually in order for the 10th plague to pass over them. They have just been protected because of who they were to this point, now it is about to change. ] shall be without blemish, [ Symbolic of the first born of the Father. To fulfill the Passover, each of the families must choose a lamb. And this lamb has to be without blemish or spot A male, of the first year, you shall take it from the sheep or the goats. Doesn't make any difference. And this will be sacrificed and then eaten by every family or groupings of individuals as the text seems to imply. And of course, we recognize that this is a pretty unveiled reflection of Jesus who is described as the lamb without blemish or spot, 1st Peter 1:18-19. ] a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: [ Which happens to be passover. Nissan 14 is always passover. ] and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel [ God has now taken down the Egyptian theology thoroughly now he will begin to rebuild with his theology. All of the ordinances and blessings associated with the Melchizedek Priesthood from the time of Adam on, which was referred to as the patriarchal priesthood, and gave internal blessings to its followers, was tried to be imitated by Pharaoh in his day. There's a panel of images on the south side of the Holy of Holies in the Temple at Karnak, and it shows the different stages through which a person had to go in order to become like one of the gods. Anointed, clothed with a special clothing, a special hat on their head. And then finally being ushered into the presence of Osiris who was the resurrection God. The ultimate goal was not wrong, but the worship of false gods was. And so all of that is done away with, as you point out, and now we have this new order, not so much for the Egyptians but for the Israelites. And that's, again, the intended audience. ] shall kill it in the evening. [ So the congregation is instructed to kill the lamb that is without blemish on the evening of Nissan 14 - Passover. Symbolic of how Christ died. ]

7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. [ It is required of the Israelites to put blood on the doorposts as a sign of their commitment to the covenant, and also a signal that the destroyer will pass by them and that their firstborn children will not be affected. And so we ask a couple of questions, why this action? I think we've answered that, to identify the participant as a follower of the true and living God. Why the blood? Well, because as we learn later on in Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11, blood is the symbol of redemption. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." And so by putting blood on the two side posts and the lintel, the crossbar of the entrance, we are signifying that we are fully engaged in the idea of redemption by the shedding of blood. For the next 1300 years, the shedding of the blood will be by animals that represent or point to the ultimate and great and last sacrifice, namely the lamb of God. And so I think that we see that in a broad perspective, understanding the atonement from not just the Bible or the New Testament but from the four standard works. ]

8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs [ "Maror" or horseradish. Typically one takes about a teaspoon full of horseradish on an unleavened cracker during the passover seder. No one cannot eat that much horseradish without shedding a few tears, which is precisely the point, you will cry - it is a battle but you will cry. The horseradish always wins. The tears that you do cry become a graphic reminder of the tears shed by the children of Israel during their slavery in Egypt. ] they shall eat it.

9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

11 ¶ And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover. [ The most important is the symbolism that we derive from the elements of the first Passover that point us to the great and last sacrifice. Out of this Passover, the establishment of the Passover that we see the creation of the sacrament, the transformation of the Passover Seder meal into the sacrament of the Lord's supper, and then the idea of the firstborn, the only one who could make an atonement, the birthright son if you will as we understand the obligations, the responsibilities of the firstborn to have the leadership of the family. ]

12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: [ The Nile is not God, I am God, let my people go. Frogs are not God, I am God, let my people go. Swarms are not God, I am God, let my people go." And he's discrediting those Egyptian gods one at a time. I love that he could have with one plague got the people out, because he's God, but first he wanted to show that each of the Egyptian gods were not God, and then, okay, now we're leaving. ] I am the LORD.

13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses [ The blood on the doorposts was a way for the destroying angel to identify God’s people, as opposed to the Egyptians. Blood is a pretty gruesome token, but the Book of Moses teaches us that blood sacrifices can be likened to Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice. See Moses 5:7-8. ] where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

15  Seven days [ The period for completiness. The creation was done in 7 days. ] shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: [ Get all the leaven out of your houses.We might begin to see repentance in this, that yeast represents sin. I'm seeing the first principles of the gospel here, faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, faith in the lamb of God, and repentance with the unleavened bread. ] for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

17 And ye shall observe the ^afeast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. [ Or passover which was first celebrated the night before God destroyed the first born of ever house that did not comply with his commands to put blood on the top of the door and upon the two side posts of the door. ]

18 ¶ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

21 ¶ Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, [ Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in blood that's in the basement, strike the lintel and the side post. Interestingly enough, this hyssop I think foreshadows the crucifixion, and we could read John 19:29, which talks about the use of hyssop in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Again, part of this act of atonement and shedding of his blood. ] and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

29 ¶ And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

31 ¶ And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.

32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.

34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

37 ¶ And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.

38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

40 ¶ Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

43 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: [ Think about those verses in 3rd Nephi chapter 18 where we're told that no stranger is to partake of the sacrament. It's a covenant requiring a commitment and full participation. We need to be all in. ]

44 But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof. [ We know that no bone of Jesus Christ was broken on the cross, John 19:36. These are some of the main elements that we associate with the establishment of the Passover commemoration. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave this talk in October 1995 general conference called This Do in Remembrance of Me. He gave this great list of all the things that we could remember. But in that talk, he said, do we see the sacrament as our Passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption. I loved how he connected Passover with sacrament. That sacrament is our Passover, he said. Paul says, more pointedly, Jesus Christ is our Passover is the way he put it. Now, he very well may have meant Jesus Christ is our Paschal lamb, our Passover lamb. ]

47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the ^aLORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies. [ The Lord then fulfills completely his promise. He brings the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. ]